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II.—The Era of the Pyramids: that is, of the building of the celebrated pyramids of Ghizeh near Memphis in Lower Egypt. The names of the builders of the first, second and third pyramids—

Suphis

Cephrenes

Mencheres,

have been discovered in the buildings themselves by Col. Howard Vyse.^[1] There are also some tombs in their vicinity which are contemporary with them.^[2] This remote period is characterised by skill in the arts of design equalling, if not surpassing, that of any succeeding period. It corresponds to the fourth dynasty of Manetho.

III.—The era of Osortasen I., the next succeeding monarch of whose public monuments any trace remains in Egypt. His inaugural title is No. 7 of the annexed genealogy. He is the first monarch whose name is well ascertained to have been inclosed in two rings or cartels. The inaugural titles of six of his predecessors,^[3] and of a long line of his successors,^[4] are still legible in the genealogies we have already noticed.

ⲣⲏ ⲥⲛϥⲣⲉ ⲕⲁ Pharaoh making good (his) offerings.

ⲣⲏ ⲛⲏⲃ ⲛⲁⲁ Pharaoh the great lord.

1. See his work on the Pyramids.
2. See Mr. Birch's valuable account of one of them, published in the Archaeologia.
3. Nos. 1 to 6.
4. Nos. 8 to 14; see also infra.